Kai baskets take edge off appetite for hungry

Office assistant Moana McRae (right) hands out fruit to Reitia Tanga (left) and Te Anau Whitney at Sunset Primary. Picture / Alan Gibson

Teachers at Rotorua's Western Heights Primary School keep "kai baskets" in their classrooms because so many of their pupils come to school hungry.

The school has had to abandon its breakfast club because of a lack of volunteers, but a church group still provides lunches discreetly on Fridays for 10 children who would otherwise go without.

"On the other days the school rallies around and finds lunch for those without it," said principal Brent Griffin.

"A lot of teachers have a kai basket for muesli bars and raisins. A child might bring an orange and not eat it, and it will go into the kai basket for someone else the next day."

Food is a delicate subject for low-decile schools. Sunset Primary School has also scrapped its breakfast club because principal Niels Rasmussen doesn't want to "actually take over the parenting role".

He compromises. The school doors are opened at 7.30am and a cup of Milo is available for the early-birds.

Last term the school became the first in Rotorua to take part in the Government's Fruit in Schools scheme, which gives each student a piece of fruit daily.

"That's made a big impact," Mr Rasmussen said. "If it means my kids get free fruit, I'd jump through hoops for that."